Slithering into your Heart
by ExodineTheDestroyer
Summary: Viper has always held a nicer, kinder opinion of Po than the others, but that kindness eventually turns into something more.
1. Strange

_**Slithering into your Heart**_

**Disclaimer:**

**I don't own the rights to anything related to the movie **_**Kung Fu Panda**_

**The rights to that movie belong to…other people…**

**I do (for what it's worth) own Charles Ivano R.**

* * *

_**Chapter 1: Strange**_

He's kinda cute when I actually stop to think about it.

Sure, he's a little clumsy; well, _really_ clumsy, but he's still cute.

It's actually strange why I'm even thinking about him, but I guess it would have something to do with the first time I sparred with him.

It was interesting.

I outclassed Po as a result of my years of training.

I was too fast for him to hit or dodge.

I was too strong for him to brush off my strikes as though they did _not_ carry fifty pounds of force.

Po would later jokingly call this a curb stomp battle.

Anyways, I quickly managed to topple Po and send him crashing to the ground.

As much as I dislike recounting the feeling, I enjoyed hurting Po.

He had been nothing more than an intruding stranger to me. He was taking the role of the Dragon Warrior. He was taking a role that rightfully belonged to one of the Furious Five. He was taking something we had been training many years to obtain and that made me angry along with everyone else.

I glanced at Master Shifu for a brief moment.

His smile and nods caused my malicious smirk to widen a bit.

Master Shifu fanned this flame, but I have to take responsibility for my own actions.

I turned my attention back to Po, watched as he slowly rose from the ground to his feet, and prepared my next attack in case he wanted to keep going. My eyes widened with shock when I saw him give me a respectful bow, "That was awesome, Master Viper!"

I blushed as a result of feeling flattery and shame from this gesture. I shouldn't have done that to him, especially not to satisfy Master Shifu's obvious desire to punish Po. After all, it wasn't Po's fault that master Oogway assigned him to be the Dragon Warrior.

I was glad when Master Shifu warmed up to Po and doubly so when Po defeated Tai Lung, ushering in an era of peace among the Valley.

"_One threat has been neutralized, but another will eventually rise to take its place. So, no matter how peaceful times are now, your training must never be shirked." _

All of us groaned a bit when we Master Shifu told us this, but he was absolutely right.

So we trained and trained and trained some more.

I keep getting led back here during those long training days…

I keep coming to the point where I see Po sprawled out on the ground, panting softly as he tries to catch his breath after having gone through another training session with Tigress.

To be honest, the one-sided beat down she hands Po could hardly be called a 'training' session.

He pants softly as I look him over and carefully wrap some bandages around his wounds.

I frowned once I realized that he was unconscious.

I could hear Tigress quietly scoff, and, as I turned to look at her, I noticed she had started to leave. My frown deepened and I quickly spoke before she had the chance to take more than three steps away from me, "Tigress, don't you think you're being a little too harsh with Po? He has done a lot for the Valley."

"…I see…"

She stopped in her tracks and turned to look at me.

On her face was a smirk that just _oozed_ with bitterness!

I had _never_ seen Tigress show this kind of emotion!

Even when Po was chosen to be the Dragon Warrior, Tigress was more or less _professionally _bitter. She was bitterer about the announcement than the rest of the Furious Five, but she still showed some understanding and belief in the choice Master Oogway had made.

And that look in her eyes was _chilling_!

It was like I was looking into the deepest and darkest of waters.

"So you'd prefer if Po stayed weak and practically defenseless, just so he'd avoid getting hurt?"

I managed to draw myself back to Earth upon hearing her stern and mocking voice.

"You know that's not what I meant, Tigress," I quickly replied, trying to hold back my frustration, "I meant you shouldn't be so hard on him like you usually are."

"I'll do as I please," Tigress scoffed, "I won't let your boyfri-_Po_! I won't let _Po_ slack off just because he defeated Tai Lung, and if you don't like it why don't you just spar with him yourself?"

She angrily left the sparring ground after that and I was glad no one else was around to see what just happened. It's not that I don't like Tigress or that I doubt her abilities as a trainer.

I just think her methods are a little…wait…

Did she say boyfriend?

What would make her even think that?

Though, that's not to say Po's not boyfriend material, but-

"Hey, V…How long have I been out?"

Hearing Po's voice so suddenly startled me, which resulted in him catching the back side of my tail across his fluffy face. "I'm sorry, Po," I quickly apologized, helping him sit up, "It's just that you kind of startled me and…well…defensive instincts kick in and…"

"Calm down…it's cool, V, it's cool."

He laughed a little before getting up, dusting himself off, and softly rubbing the spot where I hit him, "It hurts a lot less than the bruises I got in a bar fight with the notorious bandit Gray Heart, and his gang."

I smiled because the stories he told about his 'adventures' were always entertaining, no matter how outrageous and obviously untrue they were.

"So, I was travelling through the eastern lands of Mongolia and came across this small town filled with lush green grass, and pink flowers that sparkled as the sun's light hit the morning dew that laced their petals," Po began, painting a vivid picture of Rubicund Village.

Despite him not telling me its name, I recognized the description of Rubicund Village. I had been there with the other Furious Five members during a pilgrimage Master Shifu had sent us on.

"So anyways, I stayed up in this nearby inn and began helping its owners tidy it up a bit…When suddenly…" He slowly trailed off in order to build suspense, "I hear horns off in the distance and everyone begins to panic! So, I ask one of the inn owners what's wrong, but they just tell me to hurry and hide in my room while I can. But, being the person that I was, I refused to back down from the incoming danger."

He paused for a bit, thinking of what to say next.

"…Then! Then, the inn doors flew open and revealed a giant, buff wolf like dog with jagged teeth –a pair of 60 that glistened with spit when the light hit them at just the right angle- and a completely white left eye with a scar extending from his eyebrow to his left cheek. His fur was grayer than even the grayest gray and his torn black jacket and pants were wrapped in chains of the finest silver. It was Gray Heart the Heartless!"

He paused before looking around, making sure no one else was around before leaning in close, "Here's a little known fact, V. Those chains Gray Heart has wrapped around that carpet of baditude he calls 'fur' are actually reminders to others of his escape from the most secure jail known in China: Clock Work Tower."

Clock Work Tower is also a myth, by the way.

"But I've gotten a little off track…So…Where was I…! Oh yeah! So, after he invited himself in, Gray Heart began harassing the poor inn owners. 'Whear's teh monay,' he demanded whilst using poor grammar. The inn keepers paid the usual fee for when he comes to collect 'taxes,' but this time Gray wanted more and sent his goons to ransack the place and shake down nearby bystanders for the 'monay' he desired."

"I couldn't take it anymore, so I walked up to Gray Heart and told him to get out of town before I unleash the **thunder**! He got a little shaky and sent his goons to attack me while he bolted out of the inn, but I chased after the coward anyways and wiped out a good chunk of his goons along the way," he told me, using various martial arts moves to illustrate his fights.

"I eventually caught the coward in an alley, but he ambushed me, scratching my face with his pitch black claws that matched his pitch black heart," he said, pointing to a scar that hid under the fur of his right cheek.

I giggled a little; I know how he _really_ got that scar.

"I quickly countered," he continued, "and brought Gray Heart to his knees!"

"Then what happened," I asked, smiling, "Did Gray Heart promise to leave the villagers alone?"

"Of course! Gray even promised to return all the money he took from the inn keepers and the citizens of Rubicund Village. I made sure of that…Though…"

He rubbed his cheek softly.

"I prefer the bruises Gray Heart gave me over the ones Tigress hands out…"

I chuckled at his little joke, "I suppose she can get a little violent with you…"

Before I could think of anything else to say, Crane flew down to greet us.

"…There you guys are…You coming to dinner or what?"

Po stared at Crane with awe inspiring intensity, "Dinner?"

Crane had gotten used to this sort of thing, and with a sigh he replied, "Dinner."

If any word pertaining to the serving and eating of food was said in his presence, no matter what previous injuries or beatings he had been dealt beforehand, Po would suddenly gain an unfathomable amount of energy.

I smiled when Po exclaimed, "All right, I'm starving!"

Crane smirked before flapping his wings and taking to the sky, "I have to go find Tigress, so I guess you guys can just head in without me. I swear, she just up and disappeared!"

Crane gave us slight nods before flying away.

Po hopped up and down for a little while before making his way towards the nearest entrance to our humble abode. He halts suddenly before turning to look at me, "Hey, V, are you coming?"

"Yeah, I'll be there in a minute."

He gave me a nod before heading inside.

I let out a small sigh once I was sure he was gone. I needed some time to reflect on what kept happening between Tigress and Po. She actually seemed to be warming up to Po after he defeated Tai Lung, but a few weeks ago she reverted to behaving the way she acted towards him when he first came here. Actually, she treats him _worse_ than when he first came here!

What happened to cause such a drastic change in her?

I gazed at the setting sun and sighed. The dark orange color it produced was lovely and soothing, a sight that allowed me to close my eyes and lose myself in the calm moment.

The moment was immediately ruined when a crashing sound broke my trance, startling me as I quickly turned in the direction the sound came from. I slowly examined the area around me before catching sight of what had made the sound: three tile pieces that had fallen from the roof, shattering upon impact with the concrete ground. I rolled my eyes at the mess and swept the broken pieces under some nearby bushes.

I took one more look at the beautiful, dark orange sun and sighed again before I finally headed inside.

-**Author's Notes**-

**"I made this after watching the '**_**Kung Fu Panda'**_** DVD. When you play the movie from the main menu (not using scene selection) it plays a clip of Viper wrapping a Po training dummy in a pretty bow and then she kisses it (and I noticed there was currently only one ViPo story, so I decided needed moar ViPo!). Kudos to the author of "Despite Their Thoughts" **_**clanmcg24**_. **Also, Po's story is not just a filler…"**


	2. Moonlit

_**Slithering into your Heart **_

**Disclaimer:**

**I don't own the rights to anything related to the movie **_**Kung Fu Panda**_

**The rights to that movie belong to…other people…**

**I do (for what it's worth) own Charles Ivano R.**

* * *

_**Chapter 2: Moonlit**_

I let out a small sigh as I made my way through the halls of the Jade Palace, passing dimly lit lantern after dimly lit lantern until I reached the dining room. I smiled a little upon being greeted by Po. I could tell he had gone through at least five dumplings, judging by the crumbs on his face and the sighs Monkey and Mantis let out.

"Hey, save some for the rest of us, Dragon Warrior," Mantis chuckled lightly before slurping up some of the noodles from the bowl in front of him.

I quickly noticed that Crane and Tigress were not there, so I asked Monkey where they were.

Monkey took a bite out of the dumpling he held before answering, "Crane is still out looking for-"

"Found her…" Crane stated as he entered the dining room, followed by Tigress. "It took a little longer than I thought it would, but I found her…" he finished, taking a seat between Monkey and Mantis as he did so.

"It must have been pretty difficult to tear Tigress away from her training, I suppose," Mantis joked before biting into his dumpling.

"What can I say? I love to train."

I found the tone in her voice to be oddly out of character. She sounded like some giddy school girl, and the way she glanced at Po after saying how she 'loved to train' kinda gave me the creeps. The fact that she took a seat next to Po just heightened the weirdness and unease I felt.

"Man, shouldn't we have some sort of break after the whole Tai Lung incident? We beat one of the strongest warriors in the land! I mean, I like training as much as the next guy, but…"

Tigress let out a scoff at hearing Mantis say this.

"You seem to forget that _we _didn't defeat Tai Lung."

She glanced at Po.

"_We_ train everyday so that the kind of loss _we_ suffered at Tai Lung's hands doesn't happen again."

She looked right at Po and said, before going back to eating: "Right, Po?"

I frowned at what Tigress was doing. She intentionally put Po on the spot so she could create some sort of rift. It was so unlike her to do something like this.

"Uh…yeah…right…" Po replied, feeling a little awkward.

"While what Tigress says is true, I suppose you all _have_ been training too long…"

"Master Shifu," we all exclaimed, bowing to his sudden appearance.

"So I suppose letting you all rest for the next three days couldn't hurt…"

Master Shifu paused for a moment.

"…If you _really_ want to…"

"Of course we do, Master!"

Crane immediately covered his mouth upon realizing that he blurted his thoughts out. He cleared his throat before continuing with, "…I mean…Thank you for your kind offer, Master Shifu…We gladly accept…"

"I suppose Crane speaks for all of you," Master Shifu questioned, receiving nods from everyone (including Tigress, who wasn't as enthusiastic as the rest of us), "Then it's settled, you may all relax for the next three days."

"Thank you, Master Shifu," we all replied as he began to leave.

"But be prepared to get back to your training when those three days are up…" Master Shifu added before disappearing into the hallways.

"We finally get a decent break around this place," Crane sighed, stretching his wings out, "What are you guys going to do?" Mantis and Monkey started discussing their plans with Crane, and Tigress had left just a few seconds after Master Shifu, so Po and I started to converse with each other.

"So, what are you going to do in your free time, Po," I asked him, receiving a shrug from his fluffy shoulders.

"I'm not really sure…I was thinking about sleeping in, but I might take a stroll through the forest or head down into town to see how my dad's doing," he answered me, "What are you going to do?"

"Well…I haven't really thought about that, considering we haven't gotten any breaks in a long time…" I answered, wondering what I might do tomorrow.

Po let out a slight yawn.

"…I guess I'll be heading off to bed now…" he told me as he stretched his arms out.

"Goodnight, V."

"Good night, Po," I replied as he headed off to his room, followed by Monkey and Mantis, leaving me and Crane alone. I told him that I would be heading off to bed as well, but he called out to me before I could even turn to leave, "What is it, Crane?"

He looked nervous.

"…Have you…Have you noticed something…different…about Tigress?"

"If you mean the way she's been treating Po lately, then yes, I have noticed something different about Tigress," I answered, with a somewhat harsh tone that seemed to surprise Crane.

"No…That's not it…not exactly it…" he replied, shaking his head slightly, "I don't really know how to explain it…But there's _something_ different about her…It's just hard to put my finger on it…"

"Perhaps if you traded those wings of yours for hands you would have better luck," Tigress interrupted, startling both Crane and I, "What were you two talking about?"

"What…what do you mean," Crane nervously asked, glancing over at me.

"The thing you couldn't put your 'finger' on," Tigress reminded him, "Maybe I could help you figure it out?"

"Oh! That…well, it's really nothing you've gotta concern yourself with, Tigress," Crane quickly answered before making his way out of the room, "…I guess I'll just head off to bed now…"

"Hmm…I wonder what that was all about," Tigress mumbled, turning her attention to me, "I suppose you're not going to tell me what you two were discussing…are you?"

"It was just some small problem that was nagging Crane, but he's really shy about it so…I guess I can't tell you without his permission…" I lied, but Tigress seemed to believe me, considering she didn't interrogate me any further.

"Oh, well," Tigress said, shrugging her shoulders before proceeding to the dinner table and grabbing another dumpling, "I just came back for a bite to eat, so I'll be on my way now…"

Tigress occasionally tossed the dumpling into the air, catching it skillfully as she left the room. "Goodnight…Viper…" she said, glancing over her shoulder at me before completely disappearing from my view.

"Goodnight…Tigress…"

-**My Room**-

My room was no bigger than those belonging to the others, but -since I am the second smallest member of the Jade Warriors (the unofficial name Po had suggested our group be called whenever he's included)- it seems rather big from my perspective. Upon one of its walls hung a painting of my family, who I decided I should go see over the short holiday Master Shifu had given us.

It even has a shower for me to use, though (considering my size) it wasn't so much a 'shower' as it was a small enclosed area with running water, a heat source for me to heat it with, and two teapots for washing and soaping.

I picked up one of the pots and let some hot water run into it, placing a bar of soap into the second one as the water filled the first. Next, I let some water into the second pot, causing the bar of soap to produce foam.

As I relaxed amongst the warm air and steam surrounding me, my mind began to wander back to what happened early today. I blushed as thoughts of Po started to fill my mind.

"I didn't think about him this much when he had first gotten here…" I mumbled to myself, recalling that little slip Tigress let out. "Did she really mean to say that? Does she really think of me and Po as being close to each other as a boyfriend and girlfriend would be?"

A sound coming from outside my door broke me out of my Po induced trance. I quickly left the shower and my room to investigate, allowing me to catch sight of a shadowy figure turning a corner at the end of the hallway. I naturally followed, but I soon lost the figure and came across an open door leading outside. I slithered to the conspicuous door and cautiously headed outside.

The night was quiet.

The only things out here were the stars, the moon, and I.

"Where could that person have gone…!"

"…Hello, Viper…"

Tigress's voice startled me as she hopped down from the tiled roof, closing the open door after she landed, "It's dangerous to let your guard down like that."

"Were you the one sneaking through the hallways just awhile ago," I asked her, calming down a bit.

She looked genuinely confused.

"Sneaking? I merely left my room to grab some fresh air and you just so happened to do the same."

I could tell she was being sincere.

Then, her eyes narrowed on me and briefly flashed a bright shade of gold.

There have been tales of the aura of an owner being reflected in their eyes, causing them to glow or shine through sufficient concentration or stress, but I had never seen Tigress do this before.

To be honest, I was a bit scared.

"…But…since you're here, I would like to discuss with you what happened earlier today…"

I gave her a slight nod to show that I understood what she was talking about.

"I have a question for you, Viper."

She started to circle me.

"…I'm listening…"

I was unsure whether or not I had managed to _not _sound intimated by her actions.

"Why is it that you insist on interfering with the training I give Po?"

I was taken aback by the harsh tone with which she asked the question, but my indignation at hearing her ask this gave me the courage to respond with, "Because the 'training' you're giving him could seriously injure him!"

She scoffed at me.

"You make it seem as though the various bandits, baleful creatures, and obstacles Po will have to face are going to pull punches and go easy on him."

"You know that's not what I meant, Tigress," I replied as she continued to circle me.

"I suppose it never is…" she bitterly mumbled.

"You know, you used to be at least a little bit nice to Po after Tai Lung was defeated, but then you started brutalizing him like some living punch bag! It's like you enjoy hurting hi-"

She halted her circling and _growled_ angrily at me.

"I _do __**not**_…"

She paused for a second and quickly calmed herself down.

"I don't enjoy hurting him, I just…"

She looked sad and regretful.

Then her eyes flashed again and she let out another scoff.

"…I don't have to explain myself to you…"

She turned to leave, but stopped and glanced over her shoulder at me with a smirk on her face.

"I have no doubt you'll keep this event to yourself, but tell Po I enjoyed listening to his little story…"

I stood there for a long while, a strange feeling lingering in my stomach as I replayed what Tigress had said over and over again in my mind. Though, when I think about it, I wasn't surprised that Tigress had managed to eavesdrop on Po's story about Gray Heart, but that didn't make it any less troubling that she _did_.

"What has gotten into Tigress lately?"

I went over what I assumed was every possibility, from mind control to it being _that_ time of the month, which eventually led me to conclude that, "…Maybe…maybe she's jealous of me…"

I chuckled slightly at the thought. Why would she be jealous of _me_? Really, why would she? I mean, it's not that I lack confidence, but she's better than me at practically everything!

She's agile, strong, cunning…has hands…and everything seems like a total cake walk for her!

I just don't understand what her problem is.


	3. Water

_**Slithering into your Heart **_

**Disclaimer:**

**I don't own the rights to anything related to the movie **_**Kung Fu Panda**_

**The rights to that movie belong to…other people…**

**I do (for what it's worth) own Charles Ivano R.**

* * *

_**Chapter 3: Water**_

Tigress could not sleep.

She wandered the Jade Palace in hopes that she could tire herself out enough so that finding sleep in the comfort of her bed would be easier.

Her encounter with Viper only made her search for sleep all the more difficult.

"What is she talking about? My training is perfectly fine!"

Tigress disliked her authority being thrown into question by anyone other than Master Shifu. In her eyes, no member of the Furious Five had the right to do so. After all, she _is_ the eldest in training and age, which is why _she _is the leader and not Monkey, or Mantis, or Crane, or _**Viper**_.

She shook her head and growled as an image of her fellow warrior formed in her mind. "Who does she think she is?" Tigress lashed out at a hanging pot that she perceived as being in her way. The defenseless object swung back and forth, threatening to fall and clatter to the ground. Realizing what she had done, Tigress hurriedly reached out to the pot and held it still. Carefully, she tugged at it, finding that it was still hooked, and slowly let go of the pot.

"That was close," she mumbled, regaining her previously lost composure.

She closed her eyes, placed a paw on her forehead, and let out a small sigh. "I can't believe it. What's going on with me? Ever since the fight at Lunar Lake…" Her eyes shot open as an odd sound soared through the air. It sounded like a wail. No, it sounded closer to a howl.

A _familiar_ howl.

**-Lunar Lake [First Fight]-**

Tigress stood alone, surrounded by 11 wolves. Their leader -a female wolf wearing dark blue slacks, a golden sash around her waist, and a dark blue vest with golden designs- had managed to lead Tigress into an ambush, despite her belief that the bandits in Star Gazer Village were the only ones around.

She panted heavily, her chest heaving in and out as the wolves before her started to rise again. They shook their heads, still reeling from her previous assault, and groggily found their ways back onto their feet. "You should give up," Tigress growled, trying to sill her panting in an attempt to sound more intimidating. One of the wolves scoffed at this, prompting her to glare at her.

"You honestly think you can keep this up much longer," the wolf asked, her jagged smile glistening in the moonlight. The wolf spun around, her hands extended as she laughed, "11 to 1?"

"I've dealt with beings that could crush mountains with a single glance," Tigress growled, finding herself using something Po once said. She mentally smacked her forehead as she realized how silly that sounded, but continued with her boast, "Do you _cubs_ honestly believe you have what it takes to beat me?"

The wolf scoffed again, picking up a fallen sword. She looked the object over, admiring her reflection in its blade, before pointing it menacingly at Tigress. "Look at yourself, Tigress. Bruised and battered, while I'm still standing as though nothing happened."

Tigress dropped to a knee, a yelp escaping as she completed the involuntary action. She stared at the dirt, shaking her head as she tried to think of a way to even the playing field.

"Where are those guys?"

If the rest of the Jade Warriors were with her, this battle would have been over minutes ago.

"I'll even it up for you, Tigress. I'll fight you by myself, one to one, young beauty to dried-up hag."

Tigress growled at her 'hag' comment. Who did this cocky brat think she was?

"I'm hardly in my thirties," Tigress indignantly mumbled.

The wolf threw her weapon away and casually approached Tigress, obviously unafraid of her since the Kung Fu Master was badly injured and weakened. Tigress weakly growled -forcing herself back to her feet- and readied herself. Flashing a jagged grin, the wolf dashed towards Tigress and swiped at her, barely avoiding drawing blood as Tigress rolled to the side.

She yelped, clenching her teeth as her shoulder roughly made contact with the ground, but quickly stifled it and rose to her feet again. The wolf charged again, but stumbled forward as Tigress moved to meet her, ducked, and swept her feet from under her with a forward shoulder dive.

"You still have some fight in you? I guess that's good. I wouldn't want the fight to become too boring."

The wolf rose from the earth, dusting herself off before turning to Tigress. She stared at the Master for a few seconds, tapping the ground with her foot as she wondered what her next course of action would be. Tigress dropped to a knee, panting quietly as she attempted to regain some strength.

She looked around, spotting the wolves that followed the wolf she was currently fighting. They watched, patiently and eagerly, knowing that she would lose even if she somehow managed to defeat the wolf.

They would make sure of that.

"Who's your leader," Tigress asked, trying to buy some time.

The wolf ceased her tapping, choosing to scoff at Tigress's question. "Our leader? Why do you want to know that? I'm going to kill you, so the information would be useless to you."

"I want to know the name of the thug responsible for all of this," Tigress sighed, a tiny smirk forming on her lips, "I want a name to curse as I go to my grave."

The wolf laughed.

"I see you're not 100% a stick in the mud, but _I_ don't even know the Boss's name. We call him Big Grey, cuz he's so big and grey."

The other wolves nodded, remarking how tall and powerful their boss looked.

"But, he never told us his name. 'Fact, he told us he has no name," the wolf mused, shrugging her shoulders before approaching Tigress. She paused two feet in front of her prey, turning her head to gaze at a village upon a nearby hill. Her eyes, shining a platinum white in the moonlight, narrowed as another jagged grin spread across her features.

"I wonder when the show will start."

Tigress -perplexed by this- reluctantly turned to look at Star Gazer Village. Po and the others were busy defending it from the rest of the invaders,-and were winning the last time she checked- but what if these crafty wolves had another trick up their sleeves?

She watched -anticipating the show- her heart thumping from weariness and anxiety. Unbeknownst to either anticipator, their previous spectators were disappearing, stolen -one by one- by the darkness.

If either of them listened carefully they would have heard stifled yelps, quieted squeals, and a soft spoken, "Here comes the Thunder!"

A minute or two passed since the wolf began staring at the village, and now she and Tigress were alone, save for the two voices mumbling in the bushes.

"On three, Po."

"Wait, is it go on three? Or is it, one, two, three, go?"

"_Go_ on three."

"Gotcha, Crane," the Dragon Warrior whispered, winking at his fellow warrior, who let out a deprssed sigh.

"One, two, thr-!"

The wolf burst into laughter as an explosion rang through the air, the sky lighting up with a fiery orange red color. Tigress watched in horror as the village was engulfed by flames, a million thoughts racing through her mind. "Did they make it out in time?" "Did they know about it?" "What about the villagers? Are they okay?" "All those children!"

She fell to the ground, her body no longer capable of supporting itself, and closed her eyes. "Move! I have to…move…" Her body refused her demand, trembling as though afraid, yet defiant nonetheless. The wolf's laugh finally penetrated her thoughts, prompting Tigress to shoot her a glare that would have made the fur of a normal anthromorph peel off and run away in fear.

A loud howl echoed throughout the burning ruins, as though they were letting out a final call for help.

"You see that," the wolf laughed as she shortened the distance between her and Tigress, "That's our boss! I loved fighting you one on one, Tigress, but me and the boys have to head home. I'll leave you with a parting gift."

Tigress watched as the wolf pulled back her foot, that stupid grin still on her face, and braced herself for a world of pain.

"Dah! Crane, we gotta go!"

Tigress saw them leap from the bushes, rushing to stop the wolf after having been distracted by the explosion. But that was the last thing she saw, immediately falling unconscious when the wolf delivered a rib crushing kick to her chest, sending her flying into the lake.

**-Hopeful Spring-**

Tigress opened her eyes, feeling grass tickling her face, and lifted her head. She had wandered into the forest, specifically to where a pristine stream was located. Laughing, she got into a sitting position and looked about her. "How did I end up here?"

She sighed, placing a paw on her head.

"I must be slipping to have wandered off here."

A grunt escaped her as her stomach tightened, prompting her to clutch it. The pain she felt worsened, causing her to fall forward as her grip began to falter. Quickly, she threw out her free paw and caught herself before her face managed to hit the ground.

She dry heaved, her body trying to expel something that was not there, and closed her eyes. A desperate, hoarse cry escaped her as the pain worsened and dryness set into her mouth.

"_Water_"

Her eyes fluttered open and she weakly gazed at the stream before her.

"_Go to the water and drink. Trust me, Tigress._"

Tigress, desperate for anything that would cure her of this affliction, began to crawl towards the stream. "_Hurry and drink from it, Tigress,_" the voice gently commanded, prompting Tigress to put more effort into her reaches, "_I understand your pain, but you must drink from the water to end it._"

She nodded and closed her eyes, as though that would grant her just a tiny bit more strength. Only a minute had passed, but it might as well have been an eternity for all the pain Tigress had endured upon reaching the stream.

She stared into the stream, smiling faintly at her distorted reflection, and drank the cool liquid.

**-Author's Comments-**

**Charles: **"This story has been dead for a _long_ time."

**Author: **"I know, but I was busy with my Blade Master training in Japan, so I didn't have time to update it."

**Charles: **"…Hmph! When's the next chapter going to be up?"

**Author: **"6/18/2013"

**Charles: [**:(**]**

**Author**: "6/18/2011?"

**Charles: [**:)**]**


End file.
